Earth Elemental Familiar- Earthglide yes or no?

[Dannyalcatraz]

Quick question: I'm thinking about taking Improved Familiar for my Sorc/Cleric of Obad-Hai (Plant & Earth)/Geomancer(/Mystic Theurge coming soon) when he hits 12th level, in order to get a Small Earth Elemental. Not only is it thematically appropriate, the Earthglide ability will make it easier to keep alive and for it to deliver touch spells.

But the entry I saw on the familiar version of the creature (in the physical book) lacked Earthglide.

Do you think this omission is intentional or accidental?

I'm thinking its an accident- I can't find another Familiar with something like that cut out of its abilities, and it doesn't seem to be lacking in the SRD entry.

Opinions?

 

[Asha'man]

I'm torn. On one hand, it is as you say: No other familiar gets this kind of nerf, and if it's not even consistent with the SRD, it's probably an accident. Besides, from an in-character perspective it makes no sense.

On the other hand, even if it is accidental, it might be a good thing. Having seen first-hand how much use a clever master can get out of even a normal familiar, one with a power as useful as Earth Glide might be too much. It becomes a superbly effective dungeon scout and helper, helping the party bypass many barriers and hazards with little risk to itself.

Introducing this kind of PC/NPC mechanical divide, though, sticks in my craw. If I were you, I'd take it up with my DM. In a game with few subterranean dungeons, Earth Glide is a lot less powerful and there's probably no need to take it away.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Funny thing.

This guy is a replacement PC for one I retired. The campaign had gone dormant, and when dusted off, I no longer wanted to play the old PC.

The DM originally told me we had gained enough XP in the interim to be 12th level (the retired PC was 10th), so I designed him with the Improved Familiar to start off with. The PC himself, though, has all of the plant features from the Geomancer Drift list, so he's very oriented towards being out in the open. But given that 1) He's a priest of Obad-Hai with the Plant and Earth Domains, the Earth Elemental familiar seemed very appropriate. Besides, there's no Plant familiar.

I started statting up the Familiar and some of the more appropriate critters from the Summon Monster Lists- including each of the Small Elementals- I noticed the discrepancy.

Just days before the first game night, he corrected himself and stated the PCs were actually supposed to be 11th level...ehhhh...there goes the Familiar. I figured I'd raise the question when we got to 12th level.

Well, as it turns out, we've been spending a LOT of this story arc underground, encountering Desmodu, and with possible looming encounters with Drow, Beholders, and Salamanders.

Now it could look like I'm powergaming if I lobby too hard for Earthglide...not that Air, Fire or Water elementals would be slouchy. (And I doubt he'd let me design a Plant Familiar of some kind- he doesn't do much houseruling.) OTOH, since my PC is really designed as a peaceful superhealer- he has very little offensive spell capacity- the potential for abuse is actually quite minimal. Most touch delivered spells in his current repertoire are Cures/Heals or an array of buffs.

The real main reason for the Earthglide was to keep the little fellah alive! Some of the DMs in our group have shown a marked hostility to the continued survival of "pets," like the retired PC's familiar.

The ironic thing is that the retired PC was inspired by Indiana Jones, so he was geared up for subterranean encounters...right down to his Bat familiar (R.I.P. Masterson ).

 

[Asha'man]

Hm... as I remember, there's a Wood Element template in the manual of the planes. Maybe he'd allow that as an alternative to a fiendish or celestial familiar?

The "abuse" with Earth Glide (which isn't abuse at all, just a power PCs generally don't have access to) isn't transferring touch spells, it's walking through walls (and floors) to scout, unlock doors, discover pit traps etc.

 

[frankthedm]

Do you think this omission is intentional or accidental?

Intentional. As pointed out above, the earthglide ability grants a bit too much utility out of an unlimited use familiar.

 

[SolitonMan]

But the entry I saw on the familiar version of the creature (in the physical book) lacked Earthglide.

Sorry to be so ignorant but what book? I looked up the Improved Familiar feat in the online SRD at d20srd.org, but when I clicked the link to the small earth elemental it simply referred me to the standard entry for one of its kind. To which book are you referring, if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

3.5 DMG p200 is the original source of the Improved Familiar feat (reprinted in CompArc), and it lists the Sm. Earth Elemental familiar on p202.

 

[Nebten]

The errated DMG I have doesn't have Earthglide in it either. So I'm going to say it was left out on purpose. If you want to keep him alive, just memorize "Familar Pocket" =v).

 

[Vegepygmy]

Do you think this omission is intentional or accidental?

Accidental. If you intend to change a rule or treat one thing differently than another, it doesn't serve you well to "sneak it in" by omitting something from a stat block a lot of people won't even read. At the very least, I'd expect a caveat that "in some cases, the following example familiars do not possess all the same abilities as others of their type."

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

When did WotC issue a version of the DMG with errata?

FWIW, I did just find this OLD thread which is somewhat related.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-3r...3-5-dungeon-masters-guide-familiar-stats.html

If Tessarael was correct in the assertion that the stats listed in that section are 3Ed, not 3.5Ed stats, there were no corrections to that error in the 2004 errata on the WotC website.

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